Boot or shoe



(No Model.)

J. H. MELRoY.

BOUT 0R SHOE..

No. 595,833. Pafented Deo. 21, 1897.

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UNITED STATES .PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES H. MOELROY, OF MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK.

BooT oR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,833, dated. December 21, 1897.

Application filed June 17, 1896.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES H. McELRoY, of Middletown, Orange county, New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Garments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to boots and shoes, and especially resides in the construction of the quarter and'means for securing the same together. l

In the drawings I have illustrated a form of shoe embodying my invention.

Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe provided with my invention, and Fig. 2 a detail view showing the 4inner face of part of the quarter. Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line xx of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a sectional view along line y y of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a modification.

Lik'e letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A represents a boot or shoe, of which B is the quarter. 1

O represents a reinforcing-strip applied to the inside of a quarter and secured thereto by a line of stitches c. s

D designates a folded supplemental piece secured to the edge of the quarter and extending, preferably, the whole length thereof. Secured within the fold of the supplemental piece D and extending throughout the length thereof is a stay piece or wire E, formed at the upper portion with separated hooks e, which project from the supplemental piece and are adapted to be engaged by a lacingstring. Formed in the supplemental piece inside of the lowerportion of the stay-piece are a series of separated holes which extend through the inner and outer plies of the supplemental piece, and in these holes are se-V cured eyelets e. From this arrangement it will be seen that the lower portions of the two edges of a quarter are drawn together by a lacing passing through the eyelet-holes', the eyelets being prevented from pulling out by the stay-piece, an'd in addition to this the edges of the quarter are prevented by the stay-piece from being wrinkled or otherwise distorted. At their upper portions the quar- Serial No. 595,908. (No model.)

ter edges are drawn together by the lacingstrings passing through the hooks e, the hooks being employed instead of the eyelets in order that the lacing and unlacing of theshoe may be more rapidly effected. It will be noted, moreover; that when the hooks are formed integral with a continuous stay-piece the strain in pulling the edges of the quarter is equally distributed along said edges, whereas if the hooks were separately formed and attached to the quarter the strain would be imposed at certain points along the edge of the quarter and there would be a greater liability of their pulling out.

l In constructing a shoe embodying my invention the eyelet-holes are punched through the leather of the supplemental piece and are provided with eyelets e', passing through either one or both plies of the supplemental piece. Preferably, however, the eyelets will only pass through the inner ply of the supplemental piece.

In making up a quarter for a shoe embodying my invention I first secure the reinforcingstrip O to the quarter by the line of stitches c. I then construct the supplemental piece' D, inserting the stay piece or wire E in the fold thereof and passing the hooks e through the holes previously formed in the supplemental piece. I then punch the eyelet-holes and insert the eyelets through one or both plies of the supplemental piece, as desired, and then secure the two plies together and the wire E in place by means of the line of stitches e3. The supplemental piece is then inserted between the reinforcing-piece and the quarter and secured in place by a line of stitches b. l f What is claimed as new isl. In a boot or shoe, a quarter, afold located at the edge of the quarter, a stay-piece eX- tending longitudinally through the fold, a series of eyelets inside of the stay-piece extending through the inner ply of the fold, and a series of openings through the outer ply of the fold coinciding with the eyelets, substantially as described.

2. In a boot or shoe, a quarter, a folded supplemental piece at the edge of the quarter, provided in its outer ply with a series of openings and in its inner ply With a series of coinciding eyelets, and a stavpieoe extending longitudinally through the fold of the supplemental piece, substantially as described.

3. In a boot or shoe, a quarter having a folded supplemental piece, said supplemental piece being provided with a stay-piece having I hooks and being also provided with eyelets,

and a reinforcing-piece secured upon the in- 

